1x20 War Crimes
by Magnus McKay
Summary: A continuation of the Firefly saga. Episode twenty of Firefly season one. Please read the note at the beginning of the fic!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: The following story can be read in its original format in script form at ****_Virtual Firefly _****(that is if the new website is up and running properly). I started turning these into little ficlets to practice my writing and because I was bored. I didn't write any of the dialogue I just set the scene, that was already there for me. Please, PLEASE google the site and read the original versions because they are AMAZING! These stories are the continuation of the series as if Fox (I spit on them) had never cut short the show! So enjoy as the crew keeps flying!**

**Here's how it could have been...**

* * *

Firefly  
1x20  
War Crimes

_Boros: Elysian Hills - 7 Years Ago_  
Night hangs over a broken field, littered with bodies, debris and other remnants of warfare, sat in the belly of a valley. In the distance explosions, gunfire and the sound of battle can be heard, brought by the soft wind.

Two figures cut across the darkened field, the only living thing for miles. Mal and Zoe rush down a hill and onto the field, Zoe looking ahead, Mal covering her back. At the base of the hill, they pause to catch their breath.

"Think we lost them?" asks Zoe in barely a whisper.

Mal nods, but as he does so a single gunshot cracks through the black of night. Its followed by a second shot, then a short pause, then a third. This isn't the sound of battle, no fire then return. This is calculated, single, paced shots. Zoe grimaces at the sound, Mal already running towards the shots.

They cautiously crawl up the side of the next hill as another gunshot rings out. They look across to another, lower hill. A dozen Alliance Soldiers surrounded a few kneeling Independent prisoners, bound hand and foot. Four prisoners are already face down in the dirt, dead. An Alliance Officer stands behind the first living prisoner, a pistol ground into the back of his head.

"You give me trouble, you die." the Officer says in a smug tone.

He blows the prisoner away and slowly wanders towards the next one as the body hit's the floor with a sickening thud.

"_Faeces-coloured vagrant_. How about you? You want to live? I'll ask you once. Where's the comm array?" the Officer asks.

The prisoner doesn't look up, clearly terrified by his impending death. The Officer sinks a bullet in his head without a seconds thought, stepping over the prisoners body and moving onto the next one.

Mal looks on horrified by what is happening. He and Zoe are far enough away and well concealed by the undergrowth that they are in no danger of being captured and facing the same fate as the prisoners on the other hill. There is however little they can do to save their comrades.

"Jesus in Heaven, _have mercy on him, for I sure won't_." Mal growls, cocking his gun.

"There's too many of them. And we've got to warn HQ that they know about the comm array." Zoe hisses.

There's a final sickening gunshot from the next hill and Mal grits his teeth and closes his eyes. He looks faintly sick and Zoe grips his arm tightly.

"It's too late." Zoe says softly.

Mal knows she's right, but doesn't want to accept it. He lies there, breathing heavily, glaring at the officer on the hill. He would give anything to shoot the Officer dead right now, but the hand on his arm is stopping him from following his intense instinct.

"Not now, Mal another time." Zoe says, placing a hand on the barrel of his gun.

He nods a little and closes his eyes. Zoe looks across to the other hill, studying the Officer as he stands over the bodies of the fallen prisoners. She narrows her eyes and turns her back from the hill, muttering a dark curse under her breath.

* * *

_Serenity: Cargo Hold - Present Day_  
Zoe is prepping the Hover Mule as Jayne straps down their cargo, a dozen unmarked wooden barrels. Over a hundred identical ones are stacked and secured in the cargo hold already. The ship shudders below them and they both look up from their work with a frown.

"What was that?" Mal yells from above them.

* * *

_Serenity: Inara's Shuttle_  
Mal and Inara are stood at the entrance to her shuttle, apparently in mid-argument, the shudder of the ship a welcome break from the to and fro. He looks around, frown on his face, but he gets no immediate response. The shaking stops and he sighs, shaking his head.

"Where were we?" he asks Inara.

"We were talking about how you're not taking me to Bena." Inara replies haughtily.

Mal nods, dropping his gaze and folding his arms. He thinks for a moment, chewing on the inside of his cheek a little.

"I'll get you to your training house soon enough, I promise-" he replies.

"You've been promising that for two weeks. Two weeks spent so far in the ass-end of nowhere, that even you couldn't find work!"

"I have work now, and so do you."

"And now, by some miracle," Inara continues in full rant, ignoring Mal, "I've found a client on one of your _piss-pot_ moons and what do you tell me? That you're in too much of a hurry to let me stay the night and fulfil my obligations as Companion?"

"Don't know what you need all night for," Mal rants back, looking round expecting the ship to shake again, "Any whore worth her salt can get the job done in ten minutes."

"That's what separates a Companion from a whore. Not that I expect you'll ever have cause to know the difference."

"I though it was that fancy registration Nandi's girls didn't have." Mal snaps.

They both freeze at the mention of her name, a mixture of feelings running through them both. They both end up in the same place though, sadness. They pointedly look away from each other as their eyes glaze a little.

"Anyways, you mistake my meaning. Didn't say you couldn't stay the night." Mal continues, his tone softer.

"Of course, you wouldn't come out and say that. It's just, 'I'm not sure we lost that Alliance Cruiser, everyone be ready to boost out at a moments notice.' How am I going to manage that if I'm with my client?"

"You're smart, went to whore academy. Use some of those fancy tricks they taught you," Mal pauses and Inara glares at him, "I ain't lettin' that cruiser catch us on the ground, no ways. And I'd find it very unpleasant to leave my shuttle behind-"

"Oh, it's your shuttle now?"

"You're leavin' ain't ya? Already gave you back your security deposit and all. I'd say that makes it my shuttle again." Mal shrugs.

The ship shakes violently again, like a precursor to major engine trouble. Mal frowns deeply, looking round again as he has to grip the frame of the door to steady himself. Even Inara raises her eyebrow a little in surprise and throws out a steadying hand to the bar beside her.

"What is that?" his says, pushing past Inara so he can look down into the cargo hold.

Inara watches him go, shakes her head sullenly pursing her lips, and then heads through into her shuttle. Mal looks over the edge of the catwalk where Zoe and Jayne have again stopped working.

"What is that?" he asks them with a shrug.

Zoe shakes her head and throws her hands up in the air. Jayne just pulls a down turned face and shrugs. Kaylee, covered head to toe in soot and grease, walks in from the stairs near the infirmary carrying with her a bent part of the engine.

"Thought you and you're dad fixed us up." Mal yells down to her.

"Fixed up what we could with those parts you got on Beaumonde on the cheap, Captain, but some of what's left is older'n me," she calls back up, holding the part up and giving it a wiggle, "Dorsal boot's worn… couple of couplings… inertial dampener's locking… that's what the shake is-"

"What's that one do again?"

"Can't boost without it. Well, you could, but we'd all be streaks on the walls… forty gees of pressure."

"Well, you don't let that happen, all right? I like being all three dimensional. Why's everything have to break now?"

"I'd say karma, sir, but that don't explain why its happenin' to me too." Zoe replies, not even looking up from her work.

Jayne snorts loudly with laughter and Kaylee smiles brightly at Zoe. Zoe's eyes twinkle a little, but she barely smiles at her own joke.

"Maybe we can get replacement parts with some of the take?" Kaylee shrugs.

"Long's you don't spend more'n we make. Mule prepped?" Mal asks.

"Near done Captain. Be ready before my mister sets us down at Talltree." Zoe calls back.

Mal sighs and turns to head towards the stairs, as he does so he's startled by River who is stood uncomfortably close, staring at him. River looks at him then turns away to stare at the closed door to Inara's shuttle. It takes a second for Mal to realize she's no longer there.

"She's gone." River mutters.

"Not yet, little one. Just off servicing." Mal replies.

"No, she's gone inside. Not her in there."

"Whose in there then?"

"The Companion. Inara's ghost. You think it's her but there's nothing there, just what's left of a person all hollowed out," River turns back to Mal, staring at him all creepy eyed, "You're all hollow too."

"Okay, that's just a bit weird," Mal smirks pinching himself, "I feel substantial. Pudgy, even. Zoe, am I a ghost?"

"Sometimes I'm amazed you're not one yet, sir." Zoe replies with a grin.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mal frowns.

The ship shakes again, but this time it's a different type of shake which is accompanied by a sound that might be a muffled explosion coming from the vicinity of the engine room. Mal raises his eyebrows in shock, looking towards the sound of the explosion.

"Kaylee?" Mal yells.

"Weren't the inertial dampener that time." Kaylee replies nervously.

She gives Mal a timid smile that betrays her worry, and runs off at breakneck speed to check on the engine. Mal lets out a long low sigh.

* * *

_Serenity: Bridge_  
Wash is sat at the controls, banking Serenity hard to the left. As he twists the yoke, he slaps the comm on with one hand. His eyebrows are threatening to disappear into his hairline he's in that much shock.

"Captain, you better get up here!" he says into the comm, a hint of worry in his voice.

* * *

_Talltree_  
Talltree is built around a high hill with a small, grey brick walled compound atop it. Most of the community is a ramshackle collection of homes which are made out of anything and everything. Amongst them are a few dilapidated warehouses and other buildings that accommodate the population of the city.

These buildings spill out into the large fields of grain and corn that surround the settling. Some of the fields are on fire, others have rotted to the ground from crop blight, and smoke boils up from various parts of the city.

As Serenity glides overhead, a missile launches from an outpost within the city limits. The ship, under Wash's zen like control, jukes to the side and the missile explodes exactly where Serenity was a second or so before.

* * *

_Serenity: Bridge_  
Wash is not a happy bunny, not in the least. He violently twists the yoke to the right to avoid more missiles that are being launched from the city, cursing under his breath. He hit's the comm again, nearly breaking the button in his haste.

"Now!" he yells into it, beginning to loose his temper.

* * *

_Talltree_  
Serenity sharply veers away from town as yet another missile rockets towards her underbelly, but goes wide. Whoever is shooting at the ship, they definitely aren't any kind of crack shot with a missile launcher, probably never having been trained.

* * *

_Serenity: Bridge_  
Mal and Zoe pound in at a jog, joining Wash at last. He doesn't look up as they join him, rather all of his attention is focused intently on the controls of the ship and evading the incoming missiles.

"What the gorramn-" Mal starts.

"Antiaircraft missile." Wash says, cutting across Mal.

"What?"

"Sure wasn't a duck."

"Inara?

"I think she got off okay."

"Why would they be shooting at us?" Zoe asks with a frown.

Jayne saunters in, one thumb in his belt the other hand picking at his teeth with his knife. He looks as cool as anything despite the missiles that are being constantly fired from the outpost. He stands firm, rolling with the ship as she twists and turns away from danger.

"Why not? Everybody else does?" he shrugs.

Mal ignores Jayne, secretly agreeing with him. He leans over the pilots seat, tapping Wash on the shoulder and pointing out of the forward port window.

"Them hills over there? Can you set us down?" he asks.

"Set us down we should be leavin'!" Jayne yells indignantly.

"Can't leave -" Zoe starts.

"- Inara's still here." Mal finishes.

Sheppard Book joins the throng of people on the bridge, it's beginning to get a little crowded. As he does so, the ship shakes violently again. This time it is the inertial dampener, not a missile. Book grabs the doorway to steady himself. Wash looks up to Mal, shaking his head.

"Captain, the inertial dampener-" he starts.

"I know. Going. Which is what we should be doin'." Mal says with a nod.

"So what do we do? Can't go back and make the delivery like this." Zoe asks.

"I say we leave. Ruttin' grain we're ferrying ain't worth dyin' over." Jayne grunts.

"We can't leave Inara behind!" Mal yells.

There's a tense silence as everyone, even Wash, gives him a funny look. Mal seems to realise that everyone is staring at him and he folds his arms stubbornly, scowling at the majority of the room.

"What's happened?" Book asks, breaking the silence before it becomes too uncomfortable.

"Missiles from town. Somebody don't like us. Surprise, surprise." Jayne shrugs.

"It has to have been some kind of mistake. Some of these guns are set to fire automatically if they don't receive the right codes."

"Why didn't you give 'em the code?" Jayne asks Wash, clouting him on the shoulder.

"Nobody told me about a code!" Wash replies defensively.

"Never mind about no code. Just set us down. Try not to crash is too badly." Mal says nonchalantly, stepping away from the back of the pilot's chair.

"I ever crash us, Captain, it'll be a work of art."

"Ain't payin' ya for art."

"Ain't barely payin' me at all, Captain." Wash replies cheekily.

Zoe gives him a look that says 'just fly the gorramn ship'. Wash fiddles with the comm as Mal, Zoe and Jayne gather behind him.

"I think… almost. Yep, here we go." Wash says, clicking away on the console.

An image of Geoffrey, a nervous looking man, well dressed and his hair is slicked back into a tight ponytail. He's in his mid twenties, barely a hint of stubble about his face, and currently his face fills the screen of the comm. The image flares with static every few seconds and the audio crackles a little.

"Am I speaking to the crew of Serenity?" he asks cautiously.

"That you are." Mal replies, moving into the view of the comm.

"Captain Reynolds, I assume? I must apologize for the rude greeting. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Patrician Geoffrey Landon."

"You shot at us Geoffrey."

"We didn't, I can assure you… there was some… local unpleasantness."

"He ain't seen unpleasant. Not 'til I-" Jayne mumbles, cutting of when Zoe glares at him, giving him her best 'shut the hell up or I'll break your fingers' look.

"It's been taken care of, however." Geoffrey says looking over his shoulder.

"What ain't you tellin' me?" Mal asks, narrowing his eyes.

"Things are quite safe, I can assure you. There won't be a repeat of the, er, weapons malfunction we experiences earlier."

"Ain't what I'm asking. What about Cariss? He's the man set up the job."

"Patrician Cariss is currently unavailable, but has asked that I discuss business matters with you."

"Because Patrician Cariss's dead." Jayne says, rolling his eyes.

Again Zoe glares at him, dialling it up a notch this time to 'I'll break your neck' level of look. Jayne edges away from her a little, uncomfortable under her glare.

"Captain, I again sincerely apologize for the unpleasant circumstances of your arrival, but I'd like to conclude our business, if at all possible. You have our grain and we have your coin."

"I'm sure she's all right, sir." Zoe says quietly to Mal, who ignores her.

"You want your grain, price has gone up, on account of the danger to me and mine. Gettin' shot at weren't no part of no deal I made. I want an extra twenty-five percent. Up front." Mal says frowning.

"And a new inertial dampener." Wash adds in a stage whisper.

"And a new inertial dampener. And some other parts. I'll have a list."

"That may be difficult to arrange-" Geoffrey replies with a pained smile.

"Someone's got to eat and it ain't us." Mal snaps.

Geoffrey shifts off the comm screen for a moment, perhaps conferring with someone off to the side of the screen in private.

"Actually, it is us." Wash says with a shrug.

Zoe gives him a look, her eyebrow raised and he shuts up. Mal has his eyes narrowed at the screen, trying desperately to ignore Wash.

"I'll arrange it. As a good faith, I'll come pick you up personally." Geoffrey says, shuffling back into frame.

"Yeah, here's a good plan." Jayne mutters rolling his eyes.

"Best not be any more problems. There's lots of colonies would pay shiny gold for that grain." Mal replies, signalling to Wash to kill the comm link.

"Isn't this a farming community? What do they need with grain?" Wash asks.

"We do seem to be bringing coal to Newcastle." Book says nodding in agreement.

"It's grain, Shepherd. Ain't coal." Jayne says puzzling it over in his head.

"I don't like this." Zoe says, ignoring them and looking directly at Mal.

"Maybe we should just eat the grain. Cut out the middle man." Wash shrugs.

"Long's he's got the money, everything's shiny." Mal replies, talking directly with Zoe and ignoring the conversation around him.

* * *

_Patricians Complex_  
The Patricians Complex sits at the top of the hill, and is basically a high walled fort around an open square. It looks like it could comfortably house perhaps a dozen families. It's beautiful, even the walls are elegantly designed with practicality still in mind. It looks like a Roman villa, albeit a slightly rundown, aged looking Roman villa. Inara's shuttle is sat in the middle of the square.

* * *

_Inara's Shuttle_  
Inara opens the door to her shuttle and steps out. She's met by Ibrahim Al-Asjar a man in his sixties, tall, dark skinned and dressed in robes with a matching turban. He beams at her as Inara descends the steps carefully.

"_Salaam Aleikum_." Inara says, bowing low to him.

"_Aleikum Salaam_." Ibrahim says, returning the bow, if not making it lower.

"Please, come in." Inara says, stepping aside and holding her arm out.

Ibrahim accepts the invite and enters the shuttle, smiling at the rich decoration and pretty trinkets. Inara follows him, closing the door behind them for privacy.

"Your images do not do you justice." he says with a smile.

Inara smiles back at him coyly and invites him further into the shuttle, she offers him a seat and he takes it gratefully.

"I apologize for the delay. As you may have noticed on your flight in, there was some civil unrest. I trust your journey here was trouble-free?" Ibrahim asks.

"Actually, our vessel appeared to be under fire as I left," Inara informs him, pouring him tea, "Is there any way you could confirm its status for me?"

"I can certainly do that, but would you mind waiting? I'm quite anxious to… become acquainted."

"Of course." Inara replies with a tight smile.

* * *

_Serenity_  
Mal, Jayne, Zoe, Wash, Kaylee and Book have grouped together near the open cargo ramp along with a dozen barrels, some of which they are using as impromptu seats. The ramp opens to a broad valley with a single entrance which Serenity's nose is pointing towards.

A battered and broken skiff comes through the overgrown grass and touches down at a safe distance from Serenity's ramp. It's slightly smaller than one of Serenity's shuttles but unroofed, with rows of seats crudely bolted into the floor giving it enough room to seat a dozen. The paint is peeling an scratched clean off in places and the whole thing looks like it's seen better days.

Captain Chu, wearing a worn looking armoured vest that looks even more beaten up than the skiff, and beaten riot helmet. Strapped to his belt are his weapons, a pistol and a high-tech billy-club. He's sat behind the wheel eyes darting round for any signs of danger.

Geoffrey is in the passenger seat and three guards, in similar attire to Captain Chu but without the riot helmets, sit on the seats behind them. Mal and the rest of the crew at the bottom of the ramp rise to their feet or stand straighter as Geoffrey, carrying a small Hessian bag over his shoulder, approaches them with his men.

Everyone's hands are hovering either near, or on their weapons, but no one draws. Chu watches the crew, but the other guards seem more concerned about the hills and their vantage points on the meeting space. This fact is not lost on Zoe and Mal who exchange a dark look.

"Captain Reynolds. You see I come in good faith. Here is your extra twenty-five percent." Geoffrey says holding out the bag.

Book comes forward to collect it, it's less likely these people would shoot a preacher and they all know it. With a glance at the contents, Book nods to Mal and Geoffrey takes in the dozen barrels.

"And where's the rest of the grain?" Geoffrey asks, looking round.

"Cargo hold. As a show of good faith we'll take this dozen in to meet with Cariss. You'll have the rest of your grain when I have the rest of my coin." Mal replies.

Geoffrey frowns, not enthused by the situation he's found himself in, but he knows that Mal has the advantage here. He looks darkly from under his eyebrows at Chu.

"And the parts, Cap'n! Don't forget the parts!" Kaylee pipes up.

She rushes forward and holds out a piece of greasy paper to Geoffrey who takes it gingerly from her by its corner. She smiles at him cheerfully and he returns it with a slight grimace.

"See, we need some couplers. Now, not the steel ones, 'cause they vibrate too much. These gotta be ceramic-" Kaylee says, enthusiastically.

"I think we can arrange… some of that." he replies looking at the list with mild distaste then casting that look over a smiling Kaylee.

Mal sidles up to Jayne who is stood on the ramp, keeping a close eye on the guards and especially Chu. He leans in close and Jayne gives him a funny look.

"Change of plans," Mal says in a low voice, "I want you to stay here. Watch the ship careful."

Jayne starts to say something, then Zoe looks at him and inclines her head towards the nervous looking guards who have barely cast an eye over the crew since disembarking the skiff.

"There's somethin' they ain't tellin' us." Mal adds.

* * *

_Talltree: Outskirts_  
The skiff flies along, never venturing to far from the ground. Chu and Geoffrey are upfront and Mal and Zoe are sat directly behind them. The guards are in the back, holding onto the barrels of grain. Mal leans forward over Geoffrey's shoulder to talk to him.

"So Geoffrey… why'd you shoot at us?" Mal ask.

Geoffrey starts and turns to look at him darkly. Zoe puts her hand on her pistol and looks over her shoulder at the guards. The wind is loud enough that they apparently didn't here Mal.

"We didn't shoot at you." Geoffrey growls.

"Somebody sure did. If it wasn't you, makes me wonder if I shouldn't be talkin' to somebody else about the grain." Mal says, also glancing back.

"Patrician Cariss has everything well in hand." Chu says frowning.

"Honestly? We had a riot among the workers. Quickly suppressed, but at one point, they were able to take over one of our anti-aircraft batteries." Geoffrey admits.

"What else ain't you telling us? Why's a farming colony so gorramn desperate for something you can grow yourself?" Mal presses.

"Crop blight." Geoffrey waves his hand at their surroundings.

They're driving past wide expanses of cropped fields that from above, had looked perfectly healthy, but up close it could be clearly seen that the fields are dead or dying.

"Hence our need for the blight-resistant grain you're carrying. The workers believed we've been hoarding grain in the warehouses." Geoffrey continues.

"Have you?" Zoe asks, eyebrow raised.

"Yes." Geoffrey replies simply.

Mal and Zoe exchange another of their dark looks, then look to Geoffrey to explain himself. Geoffrey looks like he isn't going to say anything and as Zoe's gaze intensifies, he breaks.

"Without our exports, we haven't much money and we have expenses to meet," he continues, "Debt's, equipment to buy, soldiers to pay… the irrigation system must be maintained. Your shipment will have to last us a long time and must be severely rationed if we're to have enough to plan next years crop." he explains.

"Makes a certain sense, I suppose." Mal agrees begrudgingly.

Geoffrey is embolden by Mal's very vague agreement at their plan. He looks round at Chu and his men then leans closer to Mal, as if they are suddenly friends taking over a drink at a bar.

"The workers would not have rationed. Common rabble with no vision of the future. They'd eat tomorrow to starve next year." he says in an undertone.

Zoe looks at him, a sour look etched on her face. Mal knows that look and he would not like to be on the receiving end of it.

"Better'n starving today." she says simply.

* * *

Talltree: Town  
As the skiff makes its way through the streets of Talltree, it has to move much slower than it did on the roads through the open fields. Many of the buildings they pass are dilapidated shanty-like homes, some showing signs of recent damage which people are patching up.

The citizens of the town are garbed in the drab clothing of farmers and labourers and they all turn to watch as the skiff passes by. They hunger they feels is shown on their tired faces and listless way they move about the streets. Mal and Zoe look around the town, then look at each other.

"Quite a dangerous looking lot, sir." Zoe says quietly to him.

He doesn't like it any more than she does as the citizens watch them pass with hungry, hollow and angry eyes. The skiff is forced to stop as a crowd of about a dozen of the hungry towns people block the road ahead of them. Three vaguely menacing guards are tying to drive them off the road and out of the skiffs way. As they pass through Geoffrey calls down to the guards.

"Why aren't these citizens back at work?" he calls out angrily.

"Patrician Cariss wants everyone confined to town until everything's settled, sir." The guard replies, guiding people off the road.

"Thought everything was settled already." Zoe asks Geoffrey.

Her words are lost as the citizens begin to gather around the skiff, pressing against it, blocking any further progress and holding their hands out like beggars up to the passengers. A handful of starved looking children join the group, hands outstretched.

"Food! Please!" calls one of the citizens, followed by a weary, "Help!" from one of the children.

Geoffrey looks past them as if they don't even exist and looks to the nearest guard becoming him over with a wave of his hand. The guard can't get too close though as the crowd is beginning to swell.

"Contact Patrician Cariss. We need to get these people back to work." Geoffrey yells to the guard.

"Ask me, these folk don't look up for much work." Mal says to him, frown deepening.

"On this world, if they don't work, no one eats."

"And what exactly is it you do here, Patrician?"

Geoffrey ignores Mal's question, instead pushing some of the citizens away from the sides of the skiff with very little effect. They just clamour to get the skiff in droves and it proves incredibly hard to keep them from getting in the way.

"Shoo! Shoo!" he yells at them, shoving them out of the way.

Mal and Zoe throw a few coins into the beggars waiting hands and Geoffrey frowns at them holding their hand out for them to stop.

"Please don't! You'll only encourage them!" he snaps.

The people around the skiff shift to get closer to Mal and Zoe and the falling money. The front of the skiff clears giving Chu a chance to accelerate away from them and their open hands.

* * *

_Talltree: Courtyard_  
The large cobblestone courtyard sits close to the base of the hill. The hillside is lined with three warehouses, the opposite side a large steaming and clanking, pipe filled irrigation unit that's fifteen feet high and twenty feet across and almost as much deep. The other two walls of the courtyard are dotted with smaller buildings and the centre of the yard houses an Anti-aircraft Battery. Around the walls there are a ring of lampposts, bouncing light in.

There was clearly a battle in the yard and recently by the look of it. Some of the buildings are still smouldering from the attack and the courtyard is strewn with debris. A jalopy of an armoured car is flipped onto its roof, partially in a new crater in the cobblestone.

More than a dozen bodies, they're labourers by their attire, and they're piled up by the crater. There are three well dressed bodies hanging from some of the lampposts. A half-dozen guards are cleaning the area, carrying a few more of the labours bodies to the edge of the crater and clearing debris away.

A well dressed man, wearing an outfit that is reminiscent of an Alliance uniform is looking up at the bodies hanging from the lampposts, his back to the skiff which pulls up close by. Geoffrey and his guards step off and Mal and Zoe follow him.

"Patrician Cariss!" Geoffrey yells over the sound of the thrumming irrigation unit.

The well-dressed man begins to turn slowly. He looks vaguely disgusted by the sight of the hanging bodies.

"The grain shipment is here!" Geoffrey says with a smile.

Mal's eye's grow wide and his hand drops to his gun, a flash of anger across his face as Patrician Cariss turns. He wouldn't forget that face in a hurry and he hasn't. He's the officer from Boros from seven years before. Zoe put her hand on Mal's arm so quickly that nobody seems to notice reach for his gun.

"Not now, Mal. Another time." she says in a whisper.

Patrician Cariss approaches them a small smile on his face, his arms wide and open in greeting. He doesn't really notice the sour look Mal and Zoe's faces.

"Ah, Captain Reynolds! Welcome to Talltree. I'm glad you were able to land without difficulty." he says, holding out a hand to Mal.

Mal shakes it firmly, looking queasy and tight lipped as they do so. Zoe watches their exchange, her arms crossed and her face set impassively. The only thing that gives away her anger is the jumping muscle in her cheek.

"No thanks to you!" Mal replies haughtily.

"Yes, well… unfortunate."

"I'd call it a damned sight more than unfortunate!"

"Please, lets not dwell on the past," Cariss smiles, clapping Mal on the shoulder, "You have our grain and we have your coin. Let's finish our business, why don't we?"

Mal waves to the skiff where the three guards are unloading the barrels from the back with some difficulty.

"Rest is yours when I get my coin and my parts." Mal replies, sullenly.

* * *

_Serenity: Engine Room_  
Kaylee is sweaty and smudged in soot, her overalls are tied round her waist in her attempt to keep cool. Her work is noisy, banging away at loosening an engine part with some difficulty. She frowns at it, getting slightly annoyed.

"Gorramn piece of-" Kaylee growls.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" asks a hesitant Simon.

Kaylee looks up startled by his sudden appearance. Simon is stood in the doorway, a sheepish smile on her face. She smiles at him reservedly and he shuffles in his spot nervously.

"Sorry, I was just-" he starts.

Kaylee leans down heavily on the part she's trying to remove and it snaps off in her hands, sending fragments of it, and splashes of oil, at Simon. He sharply backs up and avoids the small explosion of debris.

"Sorry! Need something?" Kaylee asks looking up at him again.

"I… I just came to see how you were."

"I'm fine." Kaylee replies, returning to work.

"And to apologize for-"

"Gorramn, Simon, there's nothing to apologize for. I ain't a blushin' flower." Kaylee still doesn't look up as she mutters, "Not that you'd pick me if I was…"

"What are you working on?"

"Jammed up engine parts?"

"Jammed up? That doesn't sound good." Simon asks concerned.

Kaylee just gives him a slightly unamused look, raising an eyebrow at him and then quickly returns to her work.

"I mean, it can be fixed, though, can't it?" he asks, moving forward and starting to crouch down to help.

"I can fix it on my own just fine," Kaylee snaps, yanking out a circuit board, "Ugh! Burned out!"

In frustration she throws the circuit board across the room where it hits something else causing a loud crashing noise. Simon takes a step back from her frustration and anger. Kaylee winces at the noise, then, realising how childish her little outburst was she looks back up at Simon.

"Cap'n's always saying we're so close to the edge, always one job from fallin' over. I never believed him before." she mutters.

She sighs and turns back to her work, leaving Simon to stand there looking awkward amongst the mess of parts. He wants to say something, but he can't think of anything that won't just make the situation worse.

* * *

_Serenity: Galley_  
Book is sat at the table, reading his small patchwork Bible. He looks up as River wanders in, she completely ignores him, however her eyes set forward. Book watches her as she moves to the kitchen, searching through the cabinets for something unknown.

"Here, protein, protein, protein… here protein, protein, protein…" she mutters to herself.

She bends down out of Book's sight and starts opening the lower cabinets, rooting around in them with loud clattering sounds. She reappears holding a large can of protein. She looks at the can as if having a conversation with it.

"Bad protein! Shouldn't hide like that. I know you don't taste good, but you're all we have. What's that? You don't like being eaten? But it's what your for, protein. It's what you're for." she says to it.

Book clears his throat loudly to catch her attention and she looks up at him for the first time since she came in. She fixes him with a mystified look as if he's just popped out of the ground.

"Does the food talk back?" he asks seriously.

"Don't be silly. It's not anything. Can't talk." she says rolling her eyes.

She stands across the table from Book and places the can equally between them. She keeps her eye on it closely as if it might get up and walk off the table at any moment.

"Just chemicals. Think you could conjure up some loaves and fishes, preacher man?" she continues.

"Don't be silly. Only man could do that was… a better man than I am." Book smiles.

"You're not the man you think you are. Yet. Protein. Good for the soul." she replies sliding the can of protein towards him.

* * *

_Talltree: Courtyard_  
A half dozen ragged looking citizens, including some of the folks who mobbed the skiff earlier, are being brought into the courtyard by four hefty looking guards. Mal and Zoe are watching from across the yard as one of them approaches Chu and Cariss.

"Captain, ain't sayin' we should ditch this job and run, because-" Zoe starts.

"'Cause we need parts and coin." Mal finishes.

"-Just, I have a really bad feeling. Still don't think we're bein' told everything."

"We're getting paid. That's all I need to know." Mal says shaking his head.

Cariss says something to Chu, who shakes his head violently. Cariss is more vehement and Chu appears to relent to his opponents strong will.

"More to life than getting paid, sir." Zoe says with a shrug.

"Not when you're short on cash. Look, man's evil, shot our folk during the war, runs a nasty little place these days. But we ain't revolutionaries. It's not our problem."

"Thought different once."

"And once it mattered. Don't folk keep sayin' the war's over?" Mal asks.

The guard and Chu confer in hushed tones, and the guard returns to the others. They escort the citizens away, a few of them casting a terrified look in the direction of Cariss.

"Not for some folk, it ain't." Zoe mutters.

* * *

_Serenity: Common Area_  
Simon wanders in from the engine room to find Jayne sitting in one of the chairs, working on the magazine of a huge gun with a knife. He watches him work for a moment.

"What are you working on?" he asks, actually interested.

"Marie. She's got something gumming up her magazine." Jayne replies.

"Do you name all your guns?"

"Just the ones pretty enough. The knives is men. This here's Max." Jayne says waving the knife in his hand at Simon.

He shoves it into Marie's casing and works it around a bit in a casually sexual manner. Simon sits down, which earns him a frown from Jayne who isn't exactly thrilled by this turn of events.

"Shouldn't you be in the engine room or somethin'?" Jayne asks with another scowl.

"I don't think I'm wanted there." Simon frowns.

Jayne nods slowly, frowning at Simon deeply. Not surprised you ruttin' moron, he thinks as he nods.

"Kaylee, she's… she's not like the girls I knew back home. It's like trying to speak a foreign language sometimes." Simon continues.

"Girls is girls. They like the same things. Tell 'em they're pretty, git 'em stuff, kiss 'em… not on the mouth if you can help it. 'Course, some of them-"

"It's a bit more complex in the Central Worlds."

"What's there to gussy up? Gorramn Central Worlds, got rules for everything." Jayne tuts, shaking his head.

He puts Max down, blows heavily into the cartridge and loads Marie, smiling at the satisfying click. He looks at it with a mixture of pleasure and deep love. Simon grimaces as Jayne checks her over from every angle.

"Could you maybe… put that down?" Simon asks feeling nervous.

"Guay, I ain't gonna shoot you. Just thought I'd show it to you. Ever fired one of these?" Jayne asks.

"Not like this one, no."

"And you don't know any karate-"

"I took Jiu Jitsu for several years in college, but that was just for physical education credits."

"All that learnin', can't believe they don't teach ya to fight."

"I think you misunderstand how life in the Central Planets works."

"You're a doctor. Gotta be good with knives at least."

"Also, I think you misunderstand medicine."

"C'mon out to the cargo bay, Doc. We'll have us some fun," Jayne says standing and stretching his arms, "Man in your position ought to know how to fight. Gotta know how to protect your women from big bad wolves like me."

He grins toothily at Simon and the pair of them walk down the stairs, Simon already feeling that he's going to regret this.

* * *

_Inara's Shuttle_  
Inara and Ibrahim are still sat, quietly drinking tea from ornate cups. Inara is almost looking through Ibrahim who frowns and places his teacup down on the table with a quiet clink. Inara looks down at it in surprise and smiles at Ibrahim as if enthralled by his presence.

"Your mind is someplace far away, my dear. It's been many years, but is this the way it is with all companions these days?" he asks softly.

"I'm sorry, I'm just…" Inara trails off and looks down modestly.

"You're worried about your crew. This is understandable. I must admit that I'm concerned myself about what might be going on in town. Perhaps we should postpone our visit together."

"I will, of course, offer a full restitution."

"Nonsense. Your concern has made me consider that perhaps I've been living at the top of this hill for too long. That and the vision of your beauty makes the coin more than worth it." Ibrahim smiles, taking Inara's hand and placing a gentle kiss on her soft skin.

* * *

_Talltree: Courtyard_  
Geoffrey has joined Mal and Zoe who are still looking grimly around the courtyard. In the background, Cariss is supervising the guards as they cut down the corpses hanging from the lampposts. They take each of them down with much more respect than the way they dumped the bodies of the workers near the crater.

"So, he's in charge, huh? You work for him?" Mal asks, nodding towards Cariss.

"No," Geoffrey exclaims, "That is to say, all of the Patricians share in the rights and responsibilities of government. Noblesse oblige. Of course some choose to take on greater responsibilities."

"You work for him." Mal nods.

Before Geoffrey can reply, another beat-up skiff arrives in the square another half dozen guards jumping of the back, one of which heads directly for Cariss. Chu joins them, frowning. The three of them speak briefly and the new guard is pointing away from the hill towards the fields Mal and Zoe were driven through and where Serenity is parked up.

"Serenity's that way. Could be they're talkin' about our ship, sir." Zoe says in a low tone.

"No, no, I'm sure everything is-" Geoffrey starts.

However he is cut off mid-sentence as another half dozen guards run into the courtyard and make formation near Cariss to protect him from whatever danger is coming their way.

"Well, this ain't a good sign." Mal frowns.

* * *

_Serenity: Cargo Hold_  
On the floor, among the remaining grain barrels, Jayne and Simon practice knife-fighting. Simon follows Jayne's suggestions in slow motion as if it was Tai Chi. River sits on the upper catwalk, her bare feet hanging down and swinging gently, watching them spar with wide eyes.

"Gorrammit, no!" Jayne yells, frustrated.

"I-" Simon starts.

"You're thinking with the point too much. Try again."

"I'm sorry-"

"We're in a fight! Don't be sorry!"

Simon makes a move to stab Jayne. Jayne just catches his arms and makes a slow motion punch in Simon's solar plexus, but doesn't follow through. Simon pulls away, equally as frustrated as Jayne.

"There's so much to keep track of." Simon snaps.

"Ain't no harder'n sewin' someone up, Doc. You just got to stop usin' everything only one way." Jayne replies.

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"You fight by the book. Thing is, this kind of fighting ain't got a book."

Jayne walks away from a puzzled looking Simon, dropping the knife on one of the barrels and picking up Marie. He hands the gun to Simon who takes it gingerly from him.

"You've got Marie. Some men come at you. What do you do?" Jayne asks.

"I… I shoot them." Simon shrugs.

Jayne moves closer to him, gets right up into Simons face aggressively. Simon flinches back a little, but stands his ground trying to show a brave face.

"You miss one, and he gets this close." he says.

"I… run away?"

"_Why do I bother?_" Jayne mutters, snatching the gun and holding it by the barrel.

He takes a low swing, using the gun like a baseball bat. His second swing is faster and the stock of the gun almost touches Simons cheek. Simon flinches again but gives Jayne a look of mild annoyance.

"One good hit can bash in a man's skull," he points to a dent on the stock of the gun, "I know that from experience. Point is, any gorramn thing can be a weapon and when you need it, there ain't no time to think."

Simon hesitates for a second, then nods finally getting it. Wash races in from the bridge along the upper catwalk his footfalls making a racket on the metal grilling.

"We got company!" he yells down to them, indicating the cargo hold doors and beginning to run down the stairs.

Jayne turns sharply and moves towards the door, swinging his gun round and holding it correctly. Simon raises his eyebrows and pockets the knife, just in case.

* * *

_Serenity_  
Jayne is now holding Marie how she should be, he's stood on the ramp flanked by Wash and Simon. A horde of more than two dozen haggard, hungry looking folk from the town are advancing on Serenity, making their way down from the hills above. They're armed with a variety of weapons, which are mostly guns but a few are carrying farming tools.

"What do you suppose they want?" Simon asks, frowning.

"My guess is they're here to invite us to a hoe-down." Wash jokes earning him a glare from Jayne, "I do love a good hoe-down."

Book joins the three worried looking men on the ramp, watching the hungry townsfolk approach. He doesn't look pleased at the situation, in fact he looks worried. Jayne picks up on it and he grips his gun tighter.

"Whatever it is they want, they're going to take it." he says softly.

"No they ain't." Jayne mutters, lifting his gun and pointing it at the crowd.

He waves it about trying to put them off, but they just stand firm where they are. He scowls at their unwillingness to back off, not used to people not running an hiding at the sight of a gun.

"What do you want?" Jayne yells.

"You've got food!" one of the rebels yells to him.

"Not hardly!"

"I think they're referring to our cargo." Book says to Jayne softly.

"Hell, no! That's our money!" he yells back to the rebel group.

The crowd forms in the rocky field in front of the ramp. Aines steps forward, she is gaunt like the rest of them, in her late thirties or early forties, her hair tied up with a red bandana and walking with a limp. She walks with the aid of a stick with a bayonet affixed to it as a walking staff.

"Ain't eaten anything in three days, sir." she calls out.

"Sorry, ma'am-" Wash says.

"Don't see how that's our problem." Jayne shrugs.

"I don't believe you understand. They've been hunting us, like dogs. We stood up and demanded fair treatment and they beat us down," she points at her leg, "Chu and his boys beat us with sticks, 'til we had to run for the hills."

"Still don't see how that's our problem." Jayne mutters to the crew.

River appears behind the men on the ramp, hiding behind her brothers shadow and listening to them intently.

"Can't go back. Cariss'll have us shot, he gets his hands on us. But we stay out her much longer, we'll starve." Aines continues.

"Could you tell us how this came to be, Miss-" Book offers.

"Aines. Ain't much to say. Crop moon, crops failed. Patricians got the gold to feed us all, but they won't spend it. Month's worth of grain in your ship, they want to save it all for plantin'. Warehouses stay full, while our bellies're empty. So we fought. Better to die on your feet than live grovelling."

Behind the men on the ramp, River begins to softly hum 'The Hero of Canton' so quietly that its hardly audible. She fixes her gaze onto Jayne, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Worthy sentiments ma'am." Book nods.

"Who shot at us then?" Wash asks.

"That'd have been Jasper. Great mechanic, good leader, but not the sharpest tool on the rack. Likely thought if he brought you down, we could collect the grain easy after." Aines explains, looking genuinely sorry for the trouble.

"Can't we do something for them?" Simon asks Book, Jayne and Wash.

"That's money we need, or we're next week's starvin' rabble." Jayne snaps.

"Perhaps… some of the grain went bad. The barrel broke. We had to throw it out." Book shrugs, smiling at Simon.

"We do that, I ain't the one telling' the Captain." Jayne says defensively.

Behind Aines, the hungry rebels move slightly closer, trying to hear the conversation between the members of Serenity's crew.

"Three days without food…" Wash moans.

"An' we ain't so far from that ourselves." Jayne argues back.

"He stood up to the man and he gave them what for, our love for this man-" River sings.

Jayne stiffens, turning his head towards her slowly glaring at her. She just grins back at him and just continues to hum.

* * *

_Talltree: Courtyard_  
Inara's shuttle lands in the courtyard, whipping up small pieces of debris round the engines. Cariss, who is stood with Chu and a dozen or more guards around them, the first skiff breaks away and moves towards the shuttle.

Mal rushes from Zoe and Geoffrey's sides and is at the door of the shuttle when it opens and Inara steps out. They look at each other, both of them are clearly more than relieved to see that the other is still in one piece.

"Um…" Mal hums, floundering for something to say to her.

"Yes, I'm glad you're not dead too." Inara says, smiling at him.

She steps onto the cobblestones and touches Mal's cheek, moving on as her passenger and client, Ibrahim, also steps out of the shuttle. The old man makes a line straight to Cariss who is surprised to see him.

"Patrician Al-Asjar…" Cariss exclaims.

"Cariss, what's going on here?" Ibrahim asks looking at the mess in the yard.

"The rebels have rallied in the hills. Our strategy of starving them out seems to have failed."

"Rebels?" Mal questions.

"It is no problem. They're in no condition to fight. We're heading out right now to settle this."

As Cariss is speaking, Chu begins ordering some of his guards onto the remaining skiffs. Mal watches them closely as they begin to move off towards the valley a frown deepening on his forehead.

"They're at Serenity, ain't they? My ship's in danger because you lied to me." Mal says, grinding his teeth in anger.

"Calm down, sir. Peace." Ibrahim says calmly.

Inara puts a calming hand on Mal's shoulder and squeezes it, giving him a small reassuring look.

"We can take the shuttle, Mal. It'll be faster." she says softly.

* * *

_Serenity_  
One of the smaller barrels of grain has been cracked open, and although the grain is still in its whole kernel form, many of the rebels are chewing it taking handfuls of it straight from the barrel.

Jayne, Simon and River are on the ramp along with the leader of the rebels, Aines. Kaylee and Book are circulating among the rest of the rebels offering them opened cans of protein to share amongst them. They all look up as Inara's shuttle passes overhead and docks with Serenity.

It's not very soon until Mal is striding out followed by Zoe and Inara. He stands at the top of the ramp and stares out at the scene before him, his eyes lingering on the open barrel of grain.

"Captain Reynolds? Thank-" Aines however doesn't get to finish her sentence.

"Jayne, what in the gorramn hell is goin' on?" Mal yells at the merc.

"Uh, barrel broke. Grain went bad-" Jayne mumbles in reply.

Mal stalks further down the ramp towards him anger beginning to boil up inside of him. He doesn't trust himself not to smack Jayne, so he plants his feet and folds his arms.

"Captain, it's just one barrel, there's plenty more." Book explains, approaching Mal, can opener in his hand.

"These folks ain't et in three days, Mal." Jayne adds.

"And you want to join 'em? That it? We don't have grain, we don't get paid. _Of all the people to go soft!_ What's next for you? A shelter for wayward orphans?" Mal yells at him, the look on his face a mixture of confusion and anger.

"Mal, it ain't-" Jayne begins to protest.

There's no point trying to argue now as Mal has just spotted one of the cans of protein being handed around a circle of the rebels. He scowls at the tin then turns to Jayne again, a dark look in his eyes that scream 'danger'.

"_Why don't we just give them our clothes, too?_ That from our kitchen?" Mal demands.

Kaylee looks up at him reproachfully and shrugs apologetically as she hands out another can to the starving hands that reach out for it.

"Now here's what separates heroes, from normal folk like you and I." River sings from behind Mal, who ignores her.

He turns to Aines recognising her as some kind of leader of the rabble sat outside of his ship. He strides up to her, his face red and angry.

"_Monkey crap_, can you stop singing that?" Jayne hisses at River, who giggles.

"Now," says Mal, his voice echoing his barely controlled calm, "This ain't been nobody's best day, but I seen no weapons're drawn. What I need right now is for you and yours to go-"

"Oh no…no. No!" River yells, her eyes wide, head snapping back.

"River!" Simon rushes to her side, glaring at Jayne.

"Just asked her to stop singin', is all." Jayne says, shocked.

River falls to the ground and balls into the foetal position, screaming and muttering. Simon kneels by her side, trying to comfort her and the sight is disturbing enough that most of the rebels stop shovelling food into their mouths to look at her with fearful eyes.

"Murderer!" River screams.

Simon tries to get her onto her feet but River flails at him and continues to cry out, fighting him to be free.

"Get her inside. Now!" Mal yells at Simon.

"Murderer! Like them. Didn't have to push so hard. Like a knife twisting in a wound! Again and again and again. Kill anyone knows the truth. Kill them all! _Faeces-coloured vagrants!_" River screams.

Everyone is looking at her now and when her head snaps up again, everyone looks up at where she's looking. Two skiffs are approaching, laden with guards and blocking the only exit out of the valley.

Mal, Zoe, Jayne and Wash have weapons drawn but not pointing at anything, standing at the top of the ramp. Inara is stood behind Mal, watching as the skiffs slow down and the guards disembark. The rebels are now trapped with nowhere to go, stuck as they are between the ship and the guards that have formed a semicircle around them.

Cariss - Geoffrey dogging his steps like the obedient little puppy he is - walks through the ring of guards and many of the rebels, especially the young, cringe back from the Patrician.

"Captain Reynolds, what is the meaning of this? Sharing out the grain to these scum? I though we had a deal." Cariss say in a low growl.

"We do, I-" Mal starts.

"Patrician Cariss. Now we speak on equal terms." Aines says, cutting across Mal.

Cariss ignores her completely even sneers at her in disgust and turns to look up at Mal.

"Captain Reynolds, it's time to end this farce." Cariss demands.

"I ain't laughing, Cariss. That 'unpleasantness' weren't ever over and you knew it." Mal says fixing the Patrician with a sharp look.

"We have coin and a deal, Captain. If you want to break it to pander to this rabble, you won't get paid."

"Rabble," Aines exclaims in outrage, "You wouldn't have a colony without us! You starve us, beat us when we rise up and we're the villains?"

"Saw some rich folk strung up in town. Fair sure they didn't do it themselves." Mal says to her.

Aines looks away her inability to meet Mal's eyes indicating that she knows exactly what he's talking about and showing him that she's not exactly proud of what happened. She closes her eyes and shakes her head regretfully.

"Captain, this could turn real ugly real fast." Zoe says quietly to Mal.

Cariss moves past Aines and addresses her people, holding his hands up to show that he has no weapon drawn. They still shy away from him, a wave of terror passing through them.

"There's food waiting back in town for those who surrender." he says in a loud voice.

"Cap'n, you know that ain't true." Zoe says quietly into Mal's ear.

Mal just sighs and nods his head once in complete understanding of what she is implying.

* * *

_Serenity: Cargo Hold_  
River has calmed a little. Simon and Book have gotten River to the far side of the cargo hold, near the infirmary. Kaylee is nearby a look of great nervousness on her face, biting her nails. Suddenly, River breaks away from them heading back to the ramp. Simon catches her by the arm and with Books help, manages to restrain her for running out.

"Murderer! They're all the same!" she screams out.

* * *

_Serenity_  
Mal looks down at Cariss and Aines who are staring at each other with despise upon thir faces.

"Cariss, you gonna shoot these folk, they go back nice?" Mal asks, narrowing his eyes.

"You ain't letting him have us? You can see what kind of man he is!" Aines yells.

"We need them for labour. They will not be shot. I am not a murderer." Cariss yells back shaking his head.

Aines laughs and spits on the ground at his feet. Mal looks down at Cariss coldly, aiming his gun in his general direction but not directly at him.

"I know some Browncoats might say different if they could still talk." Mal says icily.

Cariss turns to him shock on his face, he was definitely not expecting that. Aines smiles to herself, she's gained some ground here and the crowd around her seem to notice that, closing in a little.

"I only did what was necessary during the war. I only killed on orders." Cariss says, his tone changing.

"Orders. That's what every _villainous scumbag_ has hid behind for thirty centuries." Mal growls.

* * *

_Serenity: Cargo Hold_  
River is still being restrained by Book and Simon. She stares wildly back towards the ramp, back towards Mal and Cariss.

"War not over for some. Still carrying that bullet." she whispers.

Her eyes become wild and she tries to break through Book and Simon's arms again.

"Bang!" she yells loudly.

* * *

_Serenity_  
Mal slowly holsters his gun, which is a surprise to all around him especially Zoe. He turns to Wash and Jayne his face sour.

"Start bringing out the grain. Them soldiers'll help you." Mal says inclining his head towards Chu and his men.

"We have a deal then?" Cariss asks, surprised.

Mal looks down, not meeting anyone's eyes. He's still turning it over in his head, frowning at the dirt as if it had done something to upset him.

"Sir, you really sidin' with him?" Zoe asks, puzzled.

"Don't see we've got much choice. Sob stories don't buy us fuel."

"This ain't right." Jayne says, shaking his head.

"You wanna eat?" Mal snaps at them.

Jayne and Wash look at each other then look at Mal with raised eyebrows, but they don't move.

"Did I look like I was giving a suggestion?" Mal prompts coldly.

"Yes, sir, Captain, sir!" Wash says ironically, snapping to attention.

He follows Jayne who gives Mal a glare as he stomps inside. Mal turns to Zoe and indicates the standoff between the rebels and the guards. Said guards begin to draw their billy-clubs which sizzle and glow with electricity.

"Make sure they don't kill nobody." Mal says to her quietly.

He turns and heads into the belly of his ship, Zoe watching him with a dark look on her face.

* * *

_Serenity: Cargo Hold_  
Wash and Jayne are in the corner figuring out which way would be easiest to move the barrels. Mal ignores their angry looks and heads for the stairs.

"I can't believe he sided with them." Jayne says shaking his head and grabbing the first barrel.

"I don't think he can, either." Wash replies, helping Jayne lift it.

At the bottom of the stairs, Inara manages to catch up with Mal and she holds out a hand to make him pause his gait.

"Mal, are you sure about this?" she asks, placing a hand on his arm.

"I've got to go." Mal replies, putting his foot on the first step.

"We're not hurting for money that badly. If you need something to tide us over for fuel and parts, until another job-"

"Ain't taking your coin. You ain't on my crew."

"I just… I don't want to see you-"

"Can't buy my regard, Inara. I ain't a whore." Mal says.

Inara lets go of his arm abruptly, her face dropping. This time it Mal didn't use it as a casual insult, and Inara just watches him go, hurt on her face, tears springing into her eyes.

* * *

_Serenity_  
Cariss addresses the rebels, his arms open to them and a sly smile on his face. Although the sides are evenly matched the training and the equipment advantage his guards have makes it clear that any uprising now will be brief, bloody and one-sided.

"Put down your weapons and get back to work." Cariss demands.

"We ain't goin' back!" Aines yells.

"Chu, forward." Cariss orders the smile on his face growing.

Zoe stands alone as the battle between the two groups begins, the circle of guards tightening around the hopeless and weaponless rebels.

* * *

_Serenity: Cargo Bay_  
River has squashed herself into the corner of the cargo bay, looking around panicked. She manages to throw off Book and Simon, leaving her arms free at last.

"Get him away! They're screaming and screaming and they won't stop!" she yells.

"River!" Simon calls to her, upset by her behaviour.

"Be calm, girl!" Book says holding a clam hand out.

"Kill him, kill them all!" River yells.

Mal and Inara both look towards River and her screaming, take her in for a second, then look back at each other.

"I didn't mean-" Mal starts.

"Yes. You did. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have offered," Inara replies regaining her composure, "I know how you must feel-"

"You don't know anything."

"I'm just trying to help-"

"You can't. Go back to the Central Worlds where you belong."

"Get me there and I'm off." Inara snaps, anger now boiling up inside her.

"_Lao tien_, Inara, I'm- I'm such a- How can you stand me?" Mal asks, downtrodden.

Some of the tension that has built up between them, threatening to blossom into an argument, fades. Inara's face softens and she begins to slightly pity the man stood before her.

"Even I can't stand me!" Mal adds shaking his head.

"Years of training. And sometimes even that wears thin." Inara says, her voice with a tone of bittersweetness about it.

Zoe pokes her head in from the ramp and signals to Mal. He realises that the voices from outside have become elevated and there are cries of fear.

"Captain, you should be out here!" she yells to him.

* * *

Serenity  
The battle is over and, with no surprises, the guards have won the scuffle. A few of the guards are injured and have been taken back aboard the skiffs. Most are standing guard over the rebels who are a lot more worse off than the injured guards. All of the rebels are injured and a few of them can't even stand from the beating they've just received.

The opened barrel has been knocked on it's side during the scuffle, it's contents spread across the field. Cariss is stood in front of Aines who is stood at the end of the line of injured prisoners.

"It's over." Cariss says grinning.

She spits right in his face. He draws his pistol and smacks her hard in the face with it, driving her to kneel at his feet. He stands over her triumphantly as he bleeds at his feet.

"Chu! Find me a few more volunteers. We'll need some examples to inspire the rest." Cariss says with a laugh.

"Sir?" Chu frowns.

"Take those who are most badly wounded, so we won't lose too much productivity."

"Patrician Al-Asjar's directives-" Geoffrey starts timidly.

"Damn that _pathetic old man!_ Doesn't know how to run a colony. Do it!"

"Yes, sir." Chu nods unenthusiastically.

He salutes smartly at Patrician Cariss and walks off. Cariss points his pistol at Aines and he slowly walks around until he's around her, watching her carefully the entire time. He pushes the barrel of the gun to the back of her head so she can feel it, sitting there. She flinches, but he has the advantage over her and she has nowhere to go. Cariss smiles.

From nowhere, Mal sucker punches Cariss, snapping the man's bead back and sending him flying into the ground. As he careens away its Mal's turn to smile. That is until he realised that half the guards have their weapons trained on him.

Cariss picks himself up of the floor, massaging his jaw and glaring at Mal. The guards have turned all their attention to Mal. Zoe steps to his side, her gun raised and her face taut with anger.

"Are you insane? I should have you killed." Cariss yells.

"We ain't your workers." Mal snaps back.

"And you wouldn't get far." Zoe adds.

She gestures to Serenity's ramp where Jayne and Wash are stood, both armed. Jayne waves Marie casually, ginning from ear to ear. Wash looks like he'd much rather be someone else, anywhere else.

"It's none of your business what I do with my people." Cariss replies, retrieving his gun.

"They ain't just your people. Don't all of the Patricians share in the rights and responsibilities of government?" Mal asks.

He looks pointedly at Geoffrey who looks grimly back at him. Zoe steps away from Mal, looking directly at Cariss who aims his gun at Mal. She narrows her eyes at him.

"You don't want to do this. Word gets out our ship went missing, won't nobody want to make deliveries here." She warns him.

"Say something, gorramn it!" Mal yells to Geoffrey.

"What should I say?" Geoffrey asks.

"I'm sure we can work something out. How much is your revenge worth?" Zoe asks Cariss, her face remaining calm.

"A great deal. Things will never quiet down if the likes of these rabble aren't punished." Cariss spits.

"'They don't work, no one eats.' How about that?" Mal yells to Geoffrey.

"We'll return the extra twenty-five percent if we resolve this without guns." Zoe replies to Cariss narrowing her eyes.

"They are worth more to us alive. They can't work if they're dead." Geoffrey says.

"The twenty-five back. And half of the original coin. For not holding up your end of the bargain." Cariss says, nodding towards the spilled barrel.

"Half?! That's one barrel out of more'n a hundred and we're barely making a profit as is!" Mal yells.

He glances at the gun that's pointed his way by Cariss and grits his teeth.

"We ain't dealing with you. Nothing to stop you from turning and shooting them the moment we break atmo." he continues in a quieter tone.

"I assure you, they won't be harmed further." Geoffrey says, holding up a hand.

"That ain't much of a guarantee," Mal snorts, "No offence."

"My men will keep them alive if ordered to." Chu replies.

"Do we have a deal?" Zoe asks, ignoring the others and looking directly at Cariss.

As he considers, Zoe takes a step between him and Mal putting herself in the firing line. Mal frowns deeply and leans forward to whisper in her ear.

"What're you doin'? Those prisoners're dead soon's we leave." Mal hisses.

"No, they ain't." Zoe whispers coolie back.

"We gotta try-"

"Not now, Mal-"

* * *

_Serenity: Cargo Hold_  
River has calmed down now. Simon, Book, Kaylee and Inara are close by keeping an eye on her, but they're not making any attempt to hold her back.

"-Another time." she whispers, looking past them and out through the open cargo hold doors.

* * *

_Talltree: Courtyard_  
Night has fallen on the town and the courtyard has been cleared of bodies, the only sign of the rebel attack and the ensuing battle, is the large crater in the cobblestone.

One of the skiffs and Serenity's Hover-Mule are parked up in the yard outside one of the larger warehouses. In the background the huge irrigation unit continues to churn noisily.

* * *

_Talltree: Warehouse_  
The warehouse is pretty empty the barrels of grain from Serenity taking up less than half of the area. Zoe, Jayne, Cariss, Geoffrey and Chu are stood beside the grain as four of the workers from town walk away under the watchful eye of two of Chu's hard eyed guards.

"That's the last of it." Geoffrey says smiling.

"That's a lot of grain." Jayne sighs, wiping his brow.

"Should last us 'til the blight ends." Cariss nods.

"If you ration it right." Zoe adds, glancing at him.

The two of them are stood with Zoe, Cariss apparently thinking that they're best friends after this deal. He smiles at her warmly, obviously trying to get her on side.

"Your Captain's an angry fellow." Cariss says shaking his head.

"War ain't over for some folk. Me, I just like to get by." Zoe says softly.

"If only more people had that attitude."

"You have our parts?" Zoe asks, looking at him, her face passive.

Geoffrey indicates a crate which is not far away, small enough for one person to carry it. Jayne moves to take it but Zoe fixes him with a meaningful look.

"I'll get it," Zoe says, halting him in his tracks, "Why don't you warm up the mule?"

"But, Cap'n said-" Jayne starts, frowning.

"I want to check the parts before we go." Zoe shrugs, nodding for him to leave.

Jayne frowns even deeper and leaves the warehouse, shooting looks back as he goes. He's confused by Zoe's sudden change of heart. Cariss waves Chu and Geoffrey off.

"We'll finish up here." he says with a smile to them.

Zoe cracks open the crate and looks inside, checking that all the parts are there and after a moment she stands and nods, satisfied by the contents.

"So, our business is done?" Cariss asks.

Zoe takes a few steps toward him, each footfall echoing around the near-empty warehouse.

"Not quite." Zoe says softly.

Before he can respond, she's rushing him at top speed. He's so surprised that he doesn't have a chance to react to the ball of fury speeding at him.

"Wha-?" he manages to cluck as she hits him.

In a fluid motion she pulls the pistol from her belt and kicks Cariss' knees from under him, until he's knelt on the floor in front of her.

"What are you-" Cariss splutters.

He cuts himself of as Zoe raises the gun and levels it at his head grinding the bullet into the flesh on his forehead.

"I don't understand, I thought you were reasonable-" he chokes, looking up at her.

She slowly walks behind him, her paced footfalls eerie in the semi-darkness, pressing the gun to his head the whole time.

"Very reasonable. Captain had the truth of it. Those prisoners wouldn't have lasted ten minutes once we left." Zoe says icily.

"You wouldn't dare."

"War ain't over for some folk, is it? Not for some of us _faeces-coloured vagrants_." Zoe says, her face angry and bitter.

She's standing behind him now, the barrel of the gun pressed against his head painfully. His eyes grow wide at Zoe's words and he opens his mouth to say something, perhaps to beg for his own life.

* * *

_Talltree: Courtyard_  
Jayne is sat in the hover mule, tapping the steering wheel with his fingers, impatiently waiting for Zoe to emerge from the warehouse. Chu and Geoffrey are stood nearby with two guards with who they are conversing with. Jayne keeps shooting them suspicious looks, his frown of impatience growing deeper by the passing second.

Over the sound of the irrigation unit, one clear, loud gunshot is audible. Before Chu and his guards react to the sound, Jayne's hand is to his gun. He doesn't draw but looks directly at Chu, as does his guards. Chu looks at a very ill looking Geoffrey. They stand there unsure of what to do as Zoe walks out of the warehouse, carrying the crate.

* * *

_Serenity: Cargo Hold_  
Mal and Wash are in the cargo hold waiting and watching as Jayne drives the hover-mule right into the hold and parks her up. Zoe looks tired and weary, her eyes to the floor.

"I'm just sayin' we coulda got our coin back is all." Jayne grunts, shaking his head.

Zoe ignores him and jumps off the mule before it's barely stopped landing surefooted and walking towards Mal immediately.

"We get everything we need?" Mal asks.

"Deal's done, Captain." Zoe says simply.

Wash approaches her a little frown of concern on his face. He can tell something's off with her but she just shakes her head at him avoiding his outstretched hand.

"Take us out of the gorramn world." she says.

"But-" Mal starts.

"Not now, Mal." she sighs, walking away without looking at him.


	2. Why start on 1x16?

I was asked by a guest as to WHY the stories start at episode 1x16 when there were only 13 episodes of Firefly. Truth is, there are 14 episodes if you count the pilot 'Serenity' and 15 when you come to realise that the pilot was split into two episodes for airing reasons. Lets face it, no network was going to show a pilot that long. There is also a mysterious 'Episode 15' script floating around.

Now, as I have said, I'm nothing to do with Virtual Firefly. They chose to start there, I just followed their lead! So please! Enjoy!


End file.
